Author's Note: This idea wouldn't leave me alone, and with a bit of help from Hijackedbycastle I managed to find it in me to publish it. I'm thinking that it will be a series of related one shots and I'm just gonna see where it takes me. I'm up for ideas for chapters if you want to send me them too :D

I hope you enjoy it :D NYLF xx

Kate leaned against the hall wall, clutching her stomach as another contraction ripped through her. She couldn't hold back the cry of pain, letting herself lean there for a second to catch her breath.

The elevator at the end of the hall chimed, and for half a second Kate wished it was someone she knew, anyone, but there was no one left to come to her aid and she knew it. She breathed for half a moment more, before pulling herself upright, moaning softly as she did.

"Hey, you okay?" The man coming from the elevator, grocery bag in hand, asked kindly.

Kate couldn't place him, but she nodded anyway. "I'm fine." She smiled tightly, the hand clutching the bottom of her bump white with the force of her grip on her shirt.

"You, you don't look fine." He looked down from her face to take her in and twigged her bump. "Oh god, are you in labour?"

Kate chuckled, watery and tight with pain, before nodding. "Yup."

"Wow, you don't look at all pregnant from the back." Rick murmured, blushing once he realised he'd said that out loud.

Kate raised an eyebrow in his direction with a wry smile.

"Sorry. I moved in about a week ago, and you're pretty, and I may have been checking you out in the laundry room on Thursday." He shrugged, before shaking his head at himself. "Not that you needed to know all that. I'm Rick, by the way." He smiled, bumping up the bag he was holding.

"Kate." She smiled. "And thanks."

"Not at all." He smiled at her gently. "Can I do anything to help?" He asked, nodding to her bump.

Kate shook her head. "Nope. Just gotta get to the hospital."

"Right." Rick nodded. "You need an ambulance?"

Kate chuckled. "Cab will be fine, and cheaper."

"Right, yeah." Rick chuckled back nervously, before a thought struck him. "Or I could drive you?"

Kate looked at him, a little suspicious, until another contraction hit her, hard. It would be faster and she knew it. "That would be great." She relented.

"Okay." Rick smiled. "Let me just shove this in my apartment and I'll drive you, okay?"

Kate nodded but he was already unlocking the door next to hers and dropping the bag inside. "Come on." He smiled, gently slipping a hand to the base of her back, and taking her hospital bag out of her hand with his other.

They walked slowly towards the elevator, neither talking, Kate concentrating on her breathing and Rick not sure what to say.

"Am I supposed to be telling you to do stuff?" He asked suddenly as he guided her onto the elevator. "Like to 'bare down' or something? In the movies they always tell them to do stuff."

Kate chuckled. "I've got it. Been to all the classes, know what to do." She smiled. "But thanks."

Rick looked over at his passenger and felt his heart break a little. She was most likely only in her early twenties, she looked so young, and here she was, heavily pregnant, sobbing in his front seat as pain pulled her apart.

He had absolutely no idea how to handle this, the contracting, crying gorgeous creature in his car, so he simply offered her his hand.

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye, seemed to be assessing him, but as her next contraction hit, she gripped his hand and shot him a grateful smile. Rick smiled back, squeezing reassuringly, as he continued to drive as fast as the law and road would allow him.

Rick kept Kate's hand as she got settled on the bed, letting go to let her get comfy, a second later.

He had no idea how to proceed here.

He didn't really know her, had met her once- if you didn't include him checking her out earlier in the week- and yet here he was, having helped sign her in to deliver her baby.

"You good?" He asked quietly.

Kate nodded, blissfully between contractions for a moment. "Thank you for this."

"Don't have to thank me, Kate." He murmured, self consciously. "Just being a decent human being."

She smiled at him softly, before her face crumpled into a grimace.

"I could stay, if you wanted?" He asked quietly, before shaking his head. "Sorry, stupid suggestion." He wouldn't look at her, couldn't. He was strangely drawn to her, but did he seriously just offer to help deliver a stranger's baby? "Anyway, hope it goes well and I'll, I'll see you around." He shot her a quick smile before leaving the room, mumbling chastisements to himself as he went.

He got three steps out of the room before Kate called his name.

He turned back, poking his head around the door. "You okay?"

She looked up at him shyly before offering him her hand. "Stay? Please? It'd be good to have someone here." She murmured.

Rick quickly walked back over to her, folding his hand into hers and squeezing gently. "I could call the father, if you wanted?" He offered quietly.

Kate shook her head. "There's no point. He's not around and," she shrugged, "I've got no one else."

A thousand responses went through his brain, but Rick settled on a reassuring squeeze of her hand and a supporting hand on her shoulder.

Of course he'd help. She needed someone here right now, to experience this with her, and if he was the best the universe could provide, he was happy to answer the call.

Later, much later, when the light had faded from the sky, and all the commotion had gone from the room, Kate laid silently, watching as her tiny baby girl slept peacefully in her arms.

"I promise to try and not let her wake you up at every hour of the night." She murmured softly, not even glancing in the man's direction, not yet able to stop looking at the little miracle in her arms. She was just so perfect.

"Eh, I wouldn't mind." Rick smiled, gently stroking his fingertip across the little one's hand, just poking out of her swaddling. "She's beautiful enough to get away with it." He nudged Kate's shoulder very lightly. "Just like her mom."

Kate smiled up at him shyly, before her eyes were drawn back to the baby.

"And hey, I'd be happy to help if you ever need it." He promised sincerely.

Kate smiled softly, leaning back and pulling the little girl into her chest, feeling her tiny breaths against her skin, while she looked up at Rick.

"I'd like that." She smiled.

"And maybe, however backwards, you'd like to have dinner with me? The three of us? Once you get home and get settled in?" He asked shyly, not really sure how she'd take it. But after seeing her deliver a baby with no pain relief, after seeing her strong, and composed, and beautiful, as she brought life into the world, how could he not at least ask?

Kate smiled shyly and nodded. "I'd like that, too."